| This book could be great if it wasn't for the fact that almost two thirds of it are about Sapkowski and his characters leering over women. Because the other third is really entertaining and fun, the adventures of Reynevan, who has to run away after being found with a married woman and whose life gets entangled with religion, dark magic, wars and politics. After finding himself on the run early on in the book, Reynevan gets to meet with all kinds of different and interesting characters, and is in the middle of betrayals, secrets, the Inquisition... And all with your traditional dark, gritty, dirty, messy Sapkowski style to tell a story and to give voice to the characters. Too bad then that he is so obsessed with bodies and looks, in particular women's, and dedicates long passages to their description, taking the reader from the story and making it a little creepy affair. It was something that was already on "The Witcher"'s series, but here it feels tenfold. Entertaining, yeah. Tiring, too. The best: religion & adventures! The worst: Sapkowski and women 4/10 (Castilian translation by José María Faraldo) |
Saturday, February 22, 2020
Narrenturm - Andrzej Sapkowski
I Hope I Shall Arrive Soon - Philip K. Dick
If only the introduction to this book was good, this book would be already totally worth reading. Because in the introduction, Dick creates a fascinating account around art/politics/culture/religion that is so chilling and thrilling that the rest of the book will feel a letdown after it.
And not because the science-fiction stories that follow are bad, because they are not, with your typical Dick's penchant for mixing religion, what is real, what is human, with the future, making for a hallucinated compilation that is a must. A little old-fashioned, of course, and with a little bit too much of religion for some tastes, of course, but gripping nonetheless.
But that introduction, woah.
The best: the introduction is a work of art on itself
The worst: too much religion
Alternatives: Frank Herbert, who also had lots of religion (in a different way); Heinlein; Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale"; more Philip K. Dick; Neal Stephenson... The list is endless
9/10
(English)
And not because the science-fiction stories that follow are bad, because they are not, with your typical Dick's penchant for mixing religion, what is real, what is human, with the future, making for a hallucinated compilation that is a must. A little old-fashioned, of course, and with a little bit too much of religion for some tastes, of course, but gripping nonetheless.
But that introduction, woah.
The best: the introduction is a work of art on itself
The worst: too much religion
Alternatives: Frank Herbert, who also had lots of religion (in a different way); Heinlein; Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale"; more Philip K. Dick; Neal Stephenson... The list is endless
9/10
(English)
Wednesday, February 19, 2020
Ordesa - Manuel Vilas
Dross. This book is so boring, so utterly incompetent, so repetitive, so badly written, so wrong morally/ideologically, so horrible, you will feel your IQ is going down while reading it.
It all goes about Vilas taking a page from Karl Ove Knausgård or Thomas Bernhard and looking on his life, his relationships, his experiences, his family, but doing it in so an inept way as to make your eyes bleed. The writing is boring, with poor use of language and repetitive sentence construction. The style is so horrible it is difficult to describe it without wanting to throw the laptop out of the window. The description of Spain and Aragon is so head-scratching-ly poor as to be unable to understand anything or to feel any kind of attachment.
And that is without entering into Vilas sick relationship with his family, with creepy sentences about his mother, both his parents converted into horrible ghosts that feel like those relatives that will never, ever, never, ever, leave your home in Christmas. Or his obsession with beauty and money, looks and possessions.
Keep away.
The best: some random sentences
The worst: everything else
Alternatives: for white males talking about themselves in that 'meta'autobiographical style, you have better options, like Karl Ove Knausgård or Thomas Bernhard; Jaume Cabré to read about families with wonderful writing, humor and use of language; David Foster Wallace for an analysis on language & humanity
0/10
(Castilian)
It all goes about Vilas taking a page from Karl Ove Knausgård or Thomas Bernhard and looking on his life, his relationships, his experiences, his family, but doing it in so an inept way as to make your eyes bleed. The writing is boring, with poor use of language and repetitive sentence construction. The style is so horrible it is difficult to describe it without wanting to throw the laptop out of the window. The description of Spain and Aragon is so head-scratching-ly poor as to be unable to understand anything or to feel any kind of attachment.
And that is without entering into Vilas sick relationship with his family, with creepy sentences about his mother, both his parents converted into horrible ghosts that feel like those relatives that will never, ever, never, ever, leave your home in Christmas. Or his obsession with beauty and money, looks and possessions.
Keep away.
The best: some random sentences
The worst: everything else
Alternatives: for white males talking about themselves in that 'meta'autobiographical style, you have better options, like Karl Ove Knausgård or Thomas Bernhard; Jaume Cabré to read about families with wonderful writing, humor and use of language; David Foster Wallace for an analysis on language & humanity
0/10
(Castilian)
Friday, February 14, 2020
My Sister, the Serial Killer - Oyinkan Braithwaite
This is a bad book. "My Sister, the Serial Killer" is a pretentious, with delusions of grandeur, story, one of those that talk about powerful female characters, powerful being synonym with selfish and violent.
The story is a simple, very simplistic one: we have a nurse (the ugly one) in love with a doctor (the handsome one, with a ripped body... I mean, the good one), the nurse also having a sister (a very pretty one).
I don't need to add anything else. You can already know were everything is going. The only 'twist' here is that the pretty sister has killed a couple of men with whom she had had an affair. So, you know, a serial killer, a twist that isn't so interesting anyway, and with which Braithwaite doesn't seem to know what to do. It all ends up with our 'heroine' talking for almost two hundred pages about looks, looks, and looks (blergh), and all characters being so shallow and selfish and all plot twists so obvious it won't hold your attention for long. Lame.
This could had been a very funny novel, all sarcasm and irony. As it is, it is a bore.
The best: hmmm... you can read it in one day?
The worst: shallow; so much talk about looks; repetitive; selfish and violent behavior that doesn't make much sense
3/10
(English)
The story is a simple, very simplistic one: we have a nurse (the ugly one) in love with a doctor (the handsome one, with a ripped body... I mean, the good one), the nurse also having a sister (a very pretty one).
I don't need to add anything else. You can already know were everything is going. The only 'twist' here is that the pretty sister has killed a couple of men with whom she had had an affair. So, you know, a serial killer, a twist that isn't so interesting anyway, and with which Braithwaite doesn't seem to know what to do. It all ends up with our 'heroine' talking for almost two hundred pages about looks, looks, and looks (blergh), and all characters being so shallow and selfish and all plot twists so obvious it won't hold your attention for long. Lame.
This could had been a very funny novel, all sarcasm and irony. As it is, it is a bore.
The best: hmmm... you can read it in one day?
The worst: shallow; so much talk about looks; repetitive; selfish and violent behavior that doesn't make much sense
3/10
(English)
The flaw - D.M. Rasey
First, I have to say that this book seems to have been hastily (and heavily) edited, and to be a way shorter version of a longer one, which is a pity, because all through reading it, the only thing you can think about is about these many scenes / plot exposition moments that have been cut out, rendering the reading a head-scratching one.
And that is a pity because D.M. Rasey writes well enough to create a nice sense of paranoia in his novel. From the very beginning, it is easy to jump into the story, and, even if it feels it was written by a conspiracy theories fanatic, it is realistic enough to be 'scary' (even if the use of real events and the cameos by famous people can be something to have a dialogue about). But also, from soon enough (like the first page), all the weird time/space jumps, the feeling of whole chapters and scenes being left in the editing room, and even sentences that start and never end, take the reader from the story; so much, that it is impossible to consider this a 'real' book. Also, Rasey makes the characters take some really head-scratching decisions to take the story to its ending, giving the feeling that he has a movie in his head (so, he is writing a script) more than a book.
Unfortunately, a mess.
The best: Rasey knows how to write; some ideas are interesting
The worst: it is a mess on all levels; the cuts have made it a frantic affair; using famous people and events is a decision that may not sit well with some readers; that there seems to be a novel with a body and a spirit somewhere
Further reading: "Cryptonomicon", "The Santaroga Barrier" or "The Handmaid's Tale"
3/10
(English)
*Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the copy*
And that is a pity because D.M. Rasey writes well enough to create a nice sense of paranoia in his novel. From the very beginning, it is easy to jump into the story, and, even if it feels it was written by a conspiracy theories fanatic, it is realistic enough to be 'scary' (even if the use of real events and the cameos by famous people can be something to have a dialogue about). But also, from soon enough (like the first page), all the weird time/space jumps, the feeling of whole chapters and scenes being left in the editing room, and even sentences that start and never end, take the reader from the story; so much, that it is impossible to consider this a 'real' book. Also, Rasey makes the characters take some really head-scratching decisions to take the story to its ending, giving the feeling that he has a movie in his head (so, he is writing a script) more than a book.
Unfortunately, a mess.
The best: Rasey knows how to write; some ideas are interesting
The worst: it is a mess on all levels; the cuts have made it a frantic affair; using famous people and events is a decision that may not sit well with some readers; that there seems to be a novel with a body and a spirit somewhere
Further reading: "Cryptonomicon", "The Santaroga Barrier" or "The Handmaid's Tale"
3/10
(English)
*Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the copy*
Thursday, February 13, 2020
Man In The Queue - Josephine Tey
A highly entertaining whodunit, "Man in the Queue" starts with a murder in the middle of a crowd, not your average mystery novel set up, and follows along a path that brings a couple of nice surprises to readers of this genre, in particular when it comes to character development and atmosphere. It is a pity, then, that the ending is a little bit of out of the blue, even if it fits perfectly with what has come before.
The best: characters, atmosphere; Tey takes her time to develop both of them and does it so in a great way, with little touches that in a sentence or two bring characters to life
The worst: Deus Ex Machina resolution; it can be quite annoying/surprising/rub the wrong way all the comments about 'typical English', 'typical Italian', and other comments about race and cultures that appear in the story
Further reading: here is where Agatha Christie or Kyôtarô Nishimura come to mind
7/10
(English)
The best: characters, atmosphere; Tey takes her time to develop both of them and does it so in a great way, with little touches that in a sentence or two bring characters to life
The worst: Deus Ex Machina resolution; it can be quite annoying/surprising/rub the wrong way all the comments about 'typical English', 'typical Italian', and other comments about race and cultures that appear in the story
Further reading: here is where Agatha Christie or Kyôtarô Nishimura come to mind
7/10
(English)
Moral Disorder - Margaret Atwood
"Moral Disorder" feels like a minor Atwood's work, even if it still has all of her strong points: great writing, good pace; vivid characters who have amazing inner worlds to which Atwood's writing brings us... However, this story of a woman and her family ends up feeling a little bit like more of the same, as if we are reading once again the same novel. It is fun, it is entertaining, but something is missing.
Really enjoyable, nonetheless. Totally worth reading.
The best: the writing is still amazing; it has a sense of humor; Atwood has a knack to create vivid memories and personalities from her characters, characters that pretty soon feel like family
The worst: it feels like a minor work; it is more of the same Atwood, so if you don't like her writing or ideas...
Further reading: Margaret Atwood has lots of good novels like "Alice Grace" or "The Handmaid's Tale"; Shiwon Miura for a novel in Japanese; Virginia Woolf's "Three Guineas" for non-fiction
7.5/10
(Original English)
Really enjoyable, nonetheless. Totally worth reading.
The best: the writing is still amazing; it has a sense of humor; Atwood has a knack to create vivid memories and personalities from her characters, characters that pretty soon feel like family
The worst: it feels like a minor work; it is more of the same Atwood, so if you don't like her writing or ideas...
Further reading: Margaret Atwood has lots of good novels like "Alice Grace" or "The Handmaid's Tale"; Shiwon Miura for a novel in Japanese; Virginia Woolf's "Three Guineas" for non-fiction
7.5/10
(Original English)
Wednesday, February 5, 2020
おはん (Ohan) - Uno Chiyo
This novella tolds a short time in the life of a man, a man who left his wife Ohan for another woman who works as a geisha, just at the time his wife got pregnant. He stayed with this new lover, disconnecting from his past, doing nothing, just taking advantage of the money his new partner had, till the day his path and Ohan's cross again. And their son. From that moment their lives become entangled, and a series of consequences will come to happen because of this fortuitous encounter.
The story is not really important, because what Chiyo Uno really wants to do is describe the life of this man, his inner world, his thinking, his doubts and desires. And she does a great job in developing this 'despicable' character, selfish, and incapable of doing the right thing, always too weak to take responsibility for his actions. From page one, you get into his head, and his ramblings, the description of his actions, all is done in a way that you can keep reading even if you totally disagree with his behavior.
However, the novella is also quite simple, and it is pretty obvious were all of this is going, the character's journey masochistic in some sickly, moralistic, way. A little bit like a guilt trip.
The best: the way Chiyo gets into the head of the protagonist
The worst: you know from pretty early on where this is going (I mean, Chiyo is actually telling you), and it becomes kind of moralistic because of that
Alternatives: Miura Shiwon, Shigeko Yuki, Ichiriki Yamamoto or Seiko Tanabe
6.5/10
(Catalan translation by Albert Nolla)
The story is not really important, because what Chiyo Uno really wants to do is describe the life of this man, his inner world, his thinking, his doubts and desires. And she does a great job in developing this 'despicable' character, selfish, and incapable of doing the right thing, always too weak to take responsibility for his actions. From page one, you get into his head, and his ramblings, the description of his actions, all is done in a way that you can keep reading even if you totally disagree with his behavior.
However, the novella is also quite simple, and it is pretty obvious were all of this is going, the character's journey masochistic in some sickly, moralistic, way. A little bit like a guilt trip.
The best: the way Chiyo gets into the head of the protagonist
The worst: you know from pretty early on where this is going (I mean, Chiyo is actually telling you), and it becomes kind of moralistic because of that
Alternatives: Miura Shiwon, Shigeko Yuki, Ichiriki Yamamoto or Seiko Tanabe
6.5/10
(Catalan translation by Albert Nolla)
Saturday, February 1, 2020
Alas de fuego - Laura Gallego García
An angel discovers that the princess she is protecting is actually a bad person who is bent to invade a neighboring country. But the angel discovers it too late, and she is sent to a prison from were no one has ever been able to break free.
"Alas de fuego" is a curious book. Instead of centering on an angel that sacrifices itself to protect the princess from danger and traitors, it is soon discovered that the princess is actually the 'bad one' and the angel finds itself (herself) in a dire situation. It makes for a nice break from hero journeys, and it sets things for a couple of neat surprises.
However all this setup is thrown out of the window because the plot is just too simple, with little depth for its characters (apart from, well, kind of, our angel; Gallego García will drill into your head with her repetitions that Ahriel HAS CHANGED) and a very, but very simple sentence construction and use of language (which, on the other hand, makes it a very easy and breezy reading).
Nice, if you have little else to read. But you will probably forget it as soon as you're finished.
The best: it is easy to immerse oneself in its world
The worst: way too simple (plot wise and writing style); there are almost no surprises
Further reading: this feels like fantasy YA, so... "Harry Potter", "Cinder", "The Hunger Games", "ソロモンの偽証" (even if it doesn't have fantasy elements), "The Lord of the Rings"...
6/10
(Spanish)
"Alas de fuego" is a curious book. Instead of centering on an angel that sacrifices itself to protect the princess from danger and traitors, it is soon discovered that the princess is actually the 'bad one' and the angel finds itself (herself) in a dire situation. It makes for a nice break from hero journeys, and it sets things for a couple of neat surprises.
However all this setup is thrown out of the window because the plot is just too simple, with little depth for its characters (apart from, well, kind of, our angel; Gallego García will drill into your head with her repetitions that Ahriel HAS CHANGED) and a very, but very simple sentence construction and use of language (which, on the other hand, makes it a very easy and breezy reading).
Nice, if you have little else to read. But you will probably forget it as soon as you're finished.
The best: it is easy to immerse oneself in its world
The worst: way too simple (plot wise and writing style); there are almost no surprises
Further reading: this feels like fantasy YA, so... "Harry Potter", "Cinder", "The Hunger Games", "ソロモンの偽証" (even if it doesn't have fantasy elements), "The Lord of the Rings"...
6/10
(Spanish)
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